July 15, 2010

Reporters Notebooks

Joe Biddle, Tennessean: Vanderbilt scholarships are worth more than $240,000 for four years. Its academic entrance requirements favor the best and brightest, which don't always mix with 40-yard dash times and dead lifts. Southeastern Conference football is a way of life at most league schools. That isn't always the case at Vanderbilt. An employee at Vanderbilt explained the apathy many people on campus have for football. "We have professors here who don't even realize we have a football team,'' he said, "and would be pretty darned mad if they found out we did.''

Jeff Bercovici, Daily Finance: Sports Illustrated and Turner Sports, two divisions of the media conglomerate that tread similar ground but until now have operated independently, are consolidating their efforts in a new digital media venture. SI will retain full editorial control over its print edition and the website. But Turner Sports will take over ad sales, marketing and other business functions for the site.

Josh Katzenstein, Detroit News: Thousands of fans got their first look at renovated Michigan Stadium. Words like "wonderful" and "spectacular" were being tossed about by fans to describe the $226 million renovation that added premium and club seating to the stadium, among many amenities.

Daniel Lyght, Fresno Bee: Fresno State is slashing season ticket prices by $100 in an effort to boost sales. Thus far, the school has sold 17,000 season tickets for the seven-game home schedule that includes games against Cincinnati and Illinois.

M Victors: The auction for the ring from Michigan's 1997 national championship team was pulled from eBay.

Mark Morris, Kansas City Star: Jason Jeffries, a former Kansas athletic staff member, pleaded guilty to concealing and not reporting the theft of sports tickets at the school.

Marc Weiszer, Athens Banner-Herald: Suspended running back Dontavius Jackson won't play again for Georgia. The sophomore's announcement that he plans to transfer comes four days after he was arrested on six misdemeanor charges including DUI, hit and run and underage possession of alcohol.

Oregonian: Former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is scheduled to appear before a judge on Sept. 3 to address non-criminal charges of failure to stop, driving with a suspended license and possession of one ounce or less of marijuana.

Jim Mashek, Biloxi Sun Herald: Southern Mississippi's Larry Fedora anticipates his three players arrested last week for disorderly conduct — receiver DeAndre Brown, receiver Johdrick Morris and linebacker Martez
Smith — will play in the opener at South Carolina, provided they comply with disciplinary measures he has established.